More than 5 thousand participants from Ukraine and other European countries gathered at the Colosseum Cinema in Berlin. Politicians, diplomats, military experts, and representatives of ethnic communities and civil society organizations discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, the process of rebuilding Ukraine, and the country’s path to joining the European Union. The programme of events comprised more than 100 locations where, for instance, manufacturers of drones and prosthetics for Ukrainian soldiers were represented. Throughout the day, Café Kyiv hosted roundtable discussions, conferences, seminars, and film screenings.

The DOCU/CLUB Network invited Berliners and city guests to a screening of the documentary Witnesses. Captivity That Kills and its follow-up discussion featuring co-director Tetyana Symon and combat medic from Azovstal, former prisoner of war Serhiy “Jedi” Rotchuk.

As DOCU/CLUB's partnerships coordinator Kateryna Singurova noted, the event sparked significant interest: “The number of people at Café Kyiv was astonishing — thousands stood in line for hours to attend the event. Screenings, discussions, and presentations took place non-stop in 10 cinema halls. Our morning screening, which opened the program, was packed, with people sitting on the steps and leaning against the walls. This amount of interest was invaluable to us, as the issue of returning Ukrainian prisoners of war is deeply painful for Ukrainians. Residents of Berlin and other European cities came to the event to hear firsthand about bringing Ukrainian soldiers home from captivity and to learn more about Russia’s war crimes.”

The queue to the Colosseum Cinema in Berlin

Tetyana Symon, the film’s co-director and coordinator of the interviewing department of the War Archive project, shared with the audience the story behind the creation of Witnesses. Captivity That Kills:“We decided to make this film after we were approached by Maria Alekseyevych — the wife of a soldier who defended Mariupol, went into ‘honorable captivity’ along with the entire Mariupol garrison, was wounded in the Olenivka terror attack, and was still in captivity at that time. Maria was looking for ways to draw more attention to the issue of returning prisoners and therefore reached out to us (the War Archive project – ed.). We decided to make a film about the terror attack.

Moreover, it was very important for us to highlight the experiences of women who are waiting for their loved ones to return from captivity.”

During the discussion of the film, Tetyana Symon noted that the film helps look beyond the “dry” statistics of war crimes to see real people and learn the stories of those who have returned from captivity, those still waiting for their loved ones, or those who, unfortunately, will never see them again because their relatives were killed by the Russians.

“The lives of these people are filled with a constant struggle for their loved ones. We must show that they are not alone, because supporting the families of prisoners of war is extremely important,” Tetyana added.

Serhiy “Jedi” Rotchuk, Tetyana Symon, Eva Yakubovska

Former prisoner of war, combat medic Serhiy “Jedi” Rotchuk shared his experience of captivity and prisoner exchange. The audience was deeply moved by his stories: for instance, at Azovstal, he provided medical aid to wounded Russians captured by his brothers in arms. Meanwhile, the Russians offered no assistance to Ukrainian soldiers who had suffered from the Russian-perpetrated terror attack in Olenivka.

In his speech, Serhiy Rotchuk advocated for the urgent need to bring back Ukrainian prisoners of war: “We live in an era where we explore space, use artificial intelligence, and have robotic devices in our homes. Yet just a few hundred kilometers from here, Russian missiles are destroying Ukrainian homes and hospitals every day, killing civilians. Ukrainian prisoners of war on Russian territory endure inhumane conditions daily, never knowing if today will be their last day.” 

Viewers inside the Colosseum Cinema in Berlin

The screening organizers symbolically left 10 empty seats in memory of those killed in the Olenivka prison terror attack. Their names were announced from the stage, and the audience honored the heroes with a moment of silence. 

The DOCU/CLUB Network is grateful to the program Ukraine: Relief, Resilience, Recovery of the German Marshall Fund of the USA for an invitation to the Café Kyiv 2025 and co-organization of this event. It was a valuable occasion to introduce the European audience to our work and emphasize the need to support Ukraine in countering Russian aggression and advocating for the return of prisoners of war.